Pipe joint



M. E. ALEXANDER PIPE JOINT April 16, 1946.

Filed Feb. 5, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 16,1946. M. E. ALEXANDER PIPEJOINT Filed Feb. 3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 the pipe maybe used.

invention relates tan improvementnin expansion 7 pipedoints or the:character :used for connecting togethersectionsaofwpipes, while per- Ishown as iorzned on thelpipe-sectionr and remitting a limitedor-=controlled Lexpansionraction 5; p

and relative yielding movement. whenm-thejoint ismsedvparticularly *forhigh-pressure pipes. 1

The object of the inventionlisto:improve the construction of pipe:joints rot: this character, to

render them i more veconom'ical to: manufacture,

requiring the leastfi amount .of critical materials =due towtheir.simplicity of construetionnand .to

facilitate the assembly of pipe'sectionsfi including the joint withoutrequiring skilled-labor for this while 1 permitting i a: limited amount.of expansion actlonorrelative movement. of the sections; particularlywhen: :used fin: high; pressure pipes; was

.well' as to. allow the pipe to accommodate itself to settlement 'andvariations in 'the terrenewhere My inventionxmay be embodied magentawhich a bell section. receives .a vspigot end of 9a ceivestherein thespigot end oft-the pipe section I. a For thispurpose, thepipe sectionLhasa cir-' cumferential. beadf 4" on.;;thei spigot end portion-;thereof. whichv bead has a pilotsl6pe 52 formed as a: taper on the,forward edge thereof and a shoulder Sat the rearwardaedgeithereoft- H I.u.The'-.be1L section-3 is formedwith a I therein generally" of;cylindrical shape,=tbutahaving socket:

an inner; recess 8 formed its an enlargement of the sockets: -:'I'he,'recess,8;,has; an abrupt shoulder 9. at. one side thereof; and acompression 1 slope. :I II

. atiltheaopposite{side thereofqformedyas.a long purpose. When:thejointismssembledp itxholds 1 the pipewsections zeifectivelyzand securely inplace :spigot; end

pipe while these parts: are -so "constructednthat a gasket isinterposedtherebetweenrand is "confined by a lockring which cooperateswith the pipeand bell'sectiontto" permit the spigot end to be insertedreadily therein and yet to seal :efiecleakage of fluid from the adjacentportionspf the pipe. -The gasket is :constructed:ipreferably ofayieldablematerial which-will be confined nevertheless by. the lockringwhile it acts on the latter somewhat in a wedging action to hold thegasket 'efi'ectively in place. A preferred embodiment of theinvention,-.to-

gether with modifications thereof, are. shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in'whlch:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a pipe joint embodyingthis invention, with .-the

parts assembled for use; .7 1. 1 I

Fig. 2 isa similar view. showing the initial positionsof theparts duringassembly; r a

Flg.3.is a similar view showing an expanded position thereof; and l r IH I Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sectionalviews through modified formsof pipe joints embodying this'invention.-. Y

The invention is shown in Figs. .1, 2 and3as applied to spine of thebell and spigot type, although itlwill be evident that the bell sectionmay lie-constructed as part of a coupling ratherthan formed directly ona pipe sectiomif desired. The pipe sections are designated generally by"the numerals I and 2, while the bell section 3 is vtaper: :pAtitheopenq endviof the bellgsection 3, the socket? 11 has, anentranceqportion I I of: cylindrical form, sufilciently large,:in::,diameter toile- .ceive freelyfllthereina the; 1beaded,1portionof; the of the: pipe. section I asshown-in .Fl8.12. J; f ip iil: LN?

. Fitted in therecessilxisa gasket 12 preferably iormedof realonsynthetici rubber or othersuitable material having sufiicientelasticity forlthe purpose. I The; gasket l 2 isyrshown; as I initiallyformed substantially o: "vgshaperlwith an inner lip I3 (see Fig.2),althoughfa solid section, either ovalor round in cross lsectionwiilserve satisfactorily for. thepurposem Also-mounted inthe recess fibeside thegasket tively thespace between'these parts againstthe I2 isaJock, ring )1 which should begof theex- Jpansion type andtransverselysplit. The ring I4 is shown as substantially: wedge-shaped in' crosssection withthe. tapered edge thereof turned toward the enteringportion; II of the socket. A wire I ring may be substituted fOIjthegwedgeshaped ring, as shown in ,Fig. 4, if desired. to confine thegasket in placeli p. The joint may i be assembled in. a very: simplemanner without" requiring special a skilled labor, as will be evident.The gasket; 1 I2 should. be inserted in thesocket recessl, and thelockring I4 should-then be inserted through the open end of the socket toits position substantially as. shown in Fig. 2, I where it is interposedbetween the gasketIZ andthe compressionslope l0. T'hen the spigotend ofthe 'pipewsection t-should be forced into andthroughthelock Iil'lgj andgasket l2 ,-in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. untilthespigotend abuts against the end wall of the socket- "I, substantially-as shownin Fig 1 J m 1 1 V H During this movement of the spigotwend, the gasketl2wi1l be compressed in,the=re'cess 18, and its abutment against theshoulder 9 thereofwill cause the gasket to expand axially" against theinner edge of the lock ring ll. Since the latter is free to move, itwill be forced outwardly relative to the compression slope ID. Thisaction will force the lock ring l4 along the compression slope Ill untilthe inside surface of the ring contacts with the periphery of the pipesection I, and until the spigot end has been forced to its innermostposition as shown in Fig. 1. At this point,

the inside diameter of the lock ring is less than the outside diameterof the head 4, while the outside diameter of the lock ring is greaterthan the diameter of the entrance portion I l of the socket. The jointis thus locked by the ring against separation due to longitudinal pul1thereon, because from being pushed ahead of the spigot end of the pipesection I by the recess shoulder 9, and will be pressed outwardlyagainst the periphery of the recess by the pilot slope 5 on the bead 4.When the gasket is in place, it is confined between the surfaces l0, 8,9, 4 and 6, and the adjacent edge of the lock ring 14, which latterprevents it from being blown out. The seal of the gasket will in- Ycrease as the pressure in the pipe increases, since this pressure wouldact to press the gasket more firmly against the lock ring and wouldcause an expansion of the latter due to its held relation, pressingagainst the opposing surfaces of the joint. Since the gasket issubstantially in open communication with the contents of the pipe, itshould be constructed of such material, so as not only to have someelasticity but also to be impermeable to attack by the fluids or gasesin the pipe.

The outside surface of the pipe I is free to slide along the insidesurface of the lock ring, thereby permitting the joint to expand andcontract, as may be desired, as a result of internal pressures, settlingof the pipe, or variations in the terrene in which it may be placed. Theamount of expansion is limited by the distance between the lock ring I4and the shoulder 6 on the bead 4 when the joint is fully closed, asshown in Fig. 1. The expansion is stopped when the shoulder of the beadis in contact with the lock ring while the latter is also in contactwith the compression slope l0 and the outside surface of the pipesection I, as shown in Fig. 3, thus providing for limited or controlledexpansive action.

The clearance shown between the inside surface of the socket l and theperipheral surface of the bead 4 permits the joint to have someflexibility and. to permit slight changes in grade or alignment causedby settlement or other causes. When this is taking place, the outside orsloping surface of the lock ring 14 acts as a ball and the compressionslope l0 acts as the socket of a ball and socket joint, therebypermitting the pipe section I to swivel in the bell section 3. Theamount of deflection in this joint is controlled by the distance betweenthe lock ring l4 and the shoulder of the bead 4, as shown in Fig. 1.When the end of the spigot is in contact with the end wall of the socket'l on one side of the pipe and the shoulder of the bead 4 is in contactwith the lock ring I4 at the other side of the pipe, the

joint would have the full amount of deflection, which is controlled orlimited in the same manner as the expansion.

The lock ring I4 is so constructed that it would be freeto move in therecess 8, even though the outside surface of the pipe section I is incontact with the entrance surface ll of the socket 1.

This ring 14 serves additional purposes: (1) It acts as a centeringdevice for positioning one pipe within the other. (2) The split ring l4acts as a medium for transmitting the weight of one pipe directly to theother .pipe without transmitting any of this load through the gasketmaterial. This leaves the gasket material free to serve solely as asealing agent. (3) This ring will also take up a, considerable variationin clearances between the two pipes. This is a prime consideration witha pipe manufacturer as it means that close tolerances do not have to beheld in its manufacture. V

The pipe sections illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 are shown as ofconventional material and character, although it will be evident thatthese may be formed of cast iron,'asbestos cement, or other suitablematerial desiredfor use in this manner. The invention may be appliedalso to other materials, such as steel pipe, concrete pipe, or the like,as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

In Fig. 4, the pipe sections are designated. 3 I and. 32, the latterhaving a bell section 33 secured thereon by welding. The bead 34 isformed directly in the steel of the pipe section 3|, as will be evident,and is surrounded by the gasket 35 confined by a lock ring 36 whichfunctions substantially as described above. The lock ring 36 is shown asof circular cross section formed of wire or the like, but being confinedby the adjacent surface substantially in a wedging action, it will holdthe gasket securely in place.

In Fig. 5, the invention is shown as applied to a reinforced concretepipe having metal joint rings, substantially of conventionalconstruction, and having a spigot joint ring 4| in one concrete section,and a coacting bell section 43 in the other, these rings being embeddedin concrete sections, suitably reenforced in the usual way asillustrated. The gasket 45 is confined between the spigot joint ring 4|and the bell section 43 where it is held by the lock ring 46. The actionhere will be substantially that described above in connection with Figs.1 to 3.

It will be obvious that the invention may be applied also to reinforcedconcrete pipe, such as prestressed reinforced concrete pipe, that doesnot require the joint rings, by acting directly between the concretesections, substantially as set forth in Figs. 1 to 3. i

It is evident also that the joint is applicable to pipes of othermaterials than those specifically mentioned above, such as plasticmaterials, in which it would function in a similar manner.

I claim:

1. In a pipe joint, the combination of pipe sections havingtelescopically arranged bell and spigot portions at adjacent endsthereof, the spigot portion having a surrounding integral bead thereonwith a pilot slope at the side of the bead toward the enclosed end ofthe bell portion and an abrupt shoulder at the opposite side ofthebeadtherefrom, a resilient gasket housed within the bell portion andbearing laterally against the shoulder of the bead, said bell portionhaving an interior compression slope therein diverging away from thespigot portion, and a lock ring housed within the bell portion andinterposed between the casket and the compression slope. saidlook ringbeing substantially wedge-shaped in cross section and pressed in wedgingrelation between the bell and spigot portions, confiningthe gaskettherebetween in sealing relation.

2. In a pipe joint, the combination of hell and spigot portions, thespigot portion having a surrounding integral bead thereon with an abruptshoulder at one side oi the bead opposite from the ally against theshoulder of the bead, said bell portion having an interior compressionslope therein diverging away from the spigot portion,

and a lock ring housed within the bell portion and interposed betweenthe gasket and the compression slope, said lock ring being pressedinwedgin'g relation between the bell andspigot portions confining thegasket therebetween in seal- MILLARD E. ALEXANDER.

